Google been experimenting with ambient computing with a handful of devices that deliver quiet notifications through taps, gentle breezes and shifting shadows. It calls its study Little Signals and it is based on the concept of calm computing — a welcome change to blaring ringtones, buzzers and bright lights, which can all be jarring and distracting.

The ideas of calm computing and calm technology were first introduced in 1995 at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center by researchers Mark Weiser and John Seely Brown. Seeing how technology could overwhelm individuals, they felt that the promise of computing systems was that they might “simplify complexities, not introduce new ones.” Weiser believed that this would lead to an era of “calm technology,” in which technology, rather than panicking users, would help them focus on the things that were really important.

From these thoughts, a design philosophy was born; one that Google is now exploring. The principles of calm tech are easy to understand. Technology should require the smallest possible amount of attention from the user. Devices should communicate, but don’t need to speak. Notification awareness can come through different senses, not only vision and touch. It should be able to communicate information without taking the user out of their current task by delivering at the periphery of a user’s environment. Technology should inform and create calm by giving people what they need to solve their problems, and nothing more. The feature set should be slimmed down so that the product does what it needs to do and does not overwhelm the user.

A hotel card key is a good example of calm tech. You simply hold it up to the device on your door and the door unlocks with a light and perhaps a small click. Haptics technology is another example, and I remember interviewing a pioneer of the technology at the Consumer Electronics Show some 10 years ago. Haptics technology refers to a signal that you feel by touch. You’ve probably experienced haptics via the tiny motors used to create vibrations in mobile phones, game controllers and some wearables. Unlike putting your phone on vibrate where you both feel and hear the alert, haptics is silent.

Google has six objects in its Little Signals collection. These are generic devices designed to show how different alerts can be conveyed. First up is Air that uses pulses of air to move a nearby object like the leaves of a house plant. Button uses a visual cue as the top of the device raises and a sound to gently get your attention. Movement uses seven pegs that rise above its platform to represent information such as a calendar or a timer. Rhythm uses melodies to convey information and it can be shut off by a wave of the hand. Shadow uses the movement of a shadow to show the status of something in the environment like breathing or a new presence. Lastly, Tap uses sounds for subtle notifications — the louder the tap, the more pressing the information. Google shows how a Tap could be used to remind a person to take their prescription. The Tap dial can also spin, wave and point to offer a wider variety of notifications.

Google is not the first company to investigate calm technology. If fact, there are already products in the marketplace that use these principles. For less than $10, you can buy an LED light attachment for a faucet that emits a color to indicate water temperature: blue for cold, green for warm, and red for hot, a simple alert that solves the problem of knowing the temperature of water without having to touch it.

Technology should have a lower profile in our daily lives. You shouldn’t have to read a thick manual to understand how to use a device; instead, it should be designed to be intuitive and ready to do its tasks right out of the box. We’ve come a long way since the days of overly complicated consumer technology, but we’re not there yet. The notion of calm technology is a valid one, and something I hope we see more of in the near future.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness, and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.

Newsletter